A Broadening View of Recombinational DNA Repair in Bacteria
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REVIEW A broadening view of recombinational DNA repair in bacteria Michael M. Cox* Department of Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 420 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706, USA Recombinational DNA repair is both the most complex and least understood of DNA repair pathways. In bacterial cells grown under normal laboratory conditions (without a DNA damaging treatment other than an aerobic environment), a substantial number (10–50%) of the replication forks originating at oriC encounter a DNA lesion or strand break. When this occurs, repair is mediated by an elaborate set of recombinational DNA repair pathways which encompass most of the enzymes involved in DNA metabolism. Four steps are discussed: (i) The replication fork stalls and/or collapses. (ii) Recombination enzymes are recruited to the location of the lesion, and function with nearly perfect efficiency and fidelity. (iii) Additional enzymatic systems, including the fX174-type primosome (or repair primosome), then function in the origin- independent reassembly of the replication fork. (iv) Frequent recombination associated with recombinational DNA repair leads to the formation of dimeric chromosomes, which are monomerized by the XerCD site-specific recombination system. contribution to bacterial DNA replication under Introduction normal growth conditions. A summary of the likely Recombinational DNA repair represents a cross-roads fate of a replication fork in the Escherichia coli where virtually every aspect of DNA metabolism comes chromosome can serve as an overview to organize this together. When a bacterial cell is subjected to UV discussion (Fig. 1). Once initiated at oriC, some irradiation or other DNA damaging treatment, DNA replication forks complete their task, while others replication rapidly comes to a halt. After 30–40 min, encounter either an unrepaired DNA lesion or a DNA replication is restored to its original level. Replication strand break at a lesion undergoing repair. At these restart (Khidhir et al. 1985; Echols & Goodman 1990; encounters, the replication complex halts and/or Echols & Goodman 1991) requires both recombination collapses. The resulting gap or double-strand break is and replication functions. In the meantime, a wide array processed by recombination enzymes. The branched of DNA repair processes are induced as part of the SOS DNA replication fork is re-established after a lag of system, including many that facilitate the recombina- some minutes. A replication complex which may be tional DNA repair and replication restart. Information distinctly different from that assembled at oriC, comes about what occurs during the 30–40 min required for together in an origin-independent manner, and replica- replication to recover is still limited, but available tion again proceeds unimpeded. Any DNA lesions left experimental data can provide some insight. behind are now within double-stranded DNA and can The transient abatement of DNA synthesis is almost be processed by excision repair pathways. The improper certainly not limited to environmental stress producing resolution of recombination intermediates (Holliday unusual levels of DNA damage. Instead it is a structures) producing a dimeric bacterial chromosome manifestation (albeit dramatic and readily observed) of is countered by a distinct and specialized site-specific a process that makes an important and regular recombination system. The pathways presented in Fig. 1 are not intended * Correspondence: E-mail: [email protected] to be comprehensive or unique, and the precise q Blackwell Science Limited Genes to Cells (1998) 3, 65–78 65 MM Cox primarily to address the requirements of recombina- tional DNA repair. The importance of this process is also oriC - dependent replication reflected in an extraordinary concentration of facilitating (DNA polymerase III DnaB, DnaC, DnaG) sequences (chi sites) seen throughout the E. coli genome. A concise integration requires a focus on several GAP repair DS break repair themes. First, a premature termination of replication fork movement which requires recombinational DNA DNA lesion DNA nick repair is a very common occurrence even in the absence of 1 Replication fork 1 Replication fork disassembly collapse treatments designed to elevate DNA damage. Second, the re-initiation of replication after recombinational repair requires a specialized enzymatic system and mechanisms distinct from those applied at the genomic origin. Recombination Recombination Third, the organization of the replication fork may be 2 (RecA + RecFOR) 2 (RecBCD RecA) altered after recombinational DNA repair. Fourth, homologous genetic recombination is a required step in this repair pathway, bringing with it an array of genomic and cellular consequences. resolution resolution (RuvABC + RecG) (RuvABC or RecG) The paradigm outlined in Fig. 1 can enhance our 3 understanding of the genetics and biochemistry of the Origin-independent replication proteins playing a direct or indirect role in recombina- re-start tional DNA repair. It also has the potential to illuminate Repair Primosome a surprising number of biological systems, enzymatic activities and cellular phenomena that have sometimes been difficult to place in an appropriate functional origin-independent replication 4 -Termination context. -Dimer resolution (XerCD) Figure 1 Pathways of recombinational DNA repair. The steps described in the text are outlined. The listing of proteins involved The structure of replication forks assembled at in each step is not meant to be exhaustive. Circled numbers oriC correspond to the four steps highlighted in the text. Following an oriC-dependent initiation process that relies on the activities of the DnaA and DnaC proteins, replication forks proceed bidirectionally from the E. coli mechanisms by which these processes occur are left origin (Kornberg & Baker 1992; Marians 1992). The intentionally vague. Many of the ideas in Fig. 1 can be contiguous protein complex at each fork consists of the traced to recombinational repair models presented by asymmetric DNA polymerase III holoenzyme and the West and Howard-Flanders (West et al. 1981) and Szostak DnaB helicase (Fig. 2). The DnaG primase plays an et al.(Szostaket al.1983).Manyofthesameideashavealso intermittent role in the priming of lagging strand DNA been developed in a number of recent articles, books and synthesis (Tougu & Marians 1996). Auxiliary proteins reviews (Zavitz & Marians 1991; Cox 1993; Livneh et al. (DNA topoisomerases, single-strand DNA binding 1993; Asai et al. 1994a; Friedberg et al. 1995; Sherratt et al. protein (SSB)) play important roles that do not 1995; Kuzminov 1996a; Kogoma 1997; Roca & Cox necessarily require direct physical contact with the 1997). Drawing from different perspectives, each con- replication fork complex. The result is an integrated tributes to the synthesis attempted here and should be complex that carries out DNA synthesis on both DNA consulted for more detailed discussions of individual template strands (Fig. 2). points and for some alternative views. Continuous DNA synthesis on the leading strand is Bacteria have made an extraordinary evolutionary complemented by the coordinated synthesis of Okazaki investment in recombinational DNA repair. At some fragments on the lagging strand. The DnaG primase point in the scheme of Fig. 1, almost every bacterial interacts transiently with the DnaB helicase (Tougu & protein known to play a role in DNA metabolism leaves Marians 1996) to effect routine priming of lagging its mark. Many of these proteins, particularly those with strand DNA synthesis. For replication which is initiated the designations Rec, Pri and Xer, may have evolved at oriC, the DnaB and DnaG proteins constitute a 66 Genes to Cells (1998) 3, 65–78 q Blackwell Science Limited Recombinational DNA repair in bacteria A 5' minimal (oriC-type) lagging strand primosome, both in 3' vivo and in vitro (Kornberg & Baker 1992; Marians 1992). Both of these proteins are essential in E. coli, and 3' ts mutants exhibit a rapid-stop phenotype with respect core 5' γ τ leading strand to DNA synthesis (Wechsler & Gross 1971). The DnaB complex protein is the only one of the multiple E. coli helicases DnaB core lagging strand that is absolutely required for chromosomal replication helicase (Baker et al. 1986). RNA primer Conspicuously absent from the complex at the RNA primer replication fork are five of the proteins defined as 5'3' components of a larger E. coli primosome, often primase referred to as the fX174-type primosome. These B include the PriA, PriB, PriC, DnaC and DnaT proteins, originally discovered during in vitro studies of the replication of the bacteriophage fX174 genome (Arai DnaB helicase & Kornberg 1981; Zavitz & Marians 1991). This more elaborate primosome is required for initiation of DnaG replication and lagging strand synthesis in bacteriophage primase fX174 and also for plasmids with ColE1 origins (Zavitz new & Marians 1991). However, a fX174-type primosome RNA primer is not required for replication originating at oriC, either in vivo or in vitro. This opens the intriguing question of the cellular function of a fX174-type primosome, which presumably did not evolve to serve the needs of β primase bacteriophages or plasmids. C The PriA protein plays a central role in the assembly of the fX174-type primosome, and also exhibits DNA- dependent ATPase and DNA helicase activities in vitro (Wickner & Hurwitz 1975; Shlomai & Kornberg 1980). The issue of primosome function has